The Whitaker Corporation

Amp LLC

Tyco Electronics Corporation

Worthington Armstrong Venture

Other

Awi Licensing Company

Commscope Technologies LLC

Armstrong World Industries, Inc.

Randy Marshall Manning

Jere W Myers

Brian T Patterson

David Donald Erdman

Charles Edward Reynolds

Robert C Briggs

Jon A Fortuna

William J Garver

Ronald P Locati

Jae A Eisenhower

Thomas Ralph Fawcett, Jr

Soren Grinderslev

James David Kevern

Michael Lawrence Gurreri

Frederic H Abendschein

Paul B Derr

Terry P Bowen

Bryan T Edwards

David Robert Baechtle

John H Huber

Robert Wallace Roff

Shelly Ann Buchter

John R Hopkins

John Baker Breedis

Bruce M Graham

Stephen A Marusak

William W Drabenstadt

Mike Gurreri

Jeffrey Paul Davis

Antonius Hultermans

Takehio Hayashi

Sjoerd Van Geffen

Lewis Edward Sauerwein

Sandor Frecska

The invention includes an electrified framework system having a plurality of grid members which form a grid framework. A conductive material is disposed on a surface of at least one of the plurality of grid members as shown throughout the drawings. The system includes connectors which provide low voltage power connections. For example, the connectors bring power from a power supply to the conductive material disposed on the grid framework and/or the connectors provide electrical connections between the conductive material on the grid framework and various devices.

Suspended ceiling grid adapter

A connector for electrical connection to an electrified grid element having first and second conductors disposed on a top portion of the grid element. In one embodiment, the connector comprises a single-piece insulator housing; a fastening means on the insulator housing for attaching the connector to a device; and first and second contacts within the insulator housing, the insulator housing configured to align the first and second contacts with the first and second conductors of the electrified grid element; wherein a base of the insulator housing comprises a recess that corresponds to the shape of the top portion of the grid element such that the housing can be mounted over the top portion of the grid member.

Connectors for electrically active grid

A process for preparing terminated fibers comprising: (a) positioning at least one fiber in a ferrule such that a portion of the fiber extends beyond the mating face of the ferrule; (b) affixing the fiber relative to the ferrule; and (c) cleaving the portion of the fiber.

Ferrule assembly

An electrical connector for use with an electrified ceiling framework having a conductive body with a first end and second end. The first end of the conductive body is arranged and disposed to provide selective electrical contact to a first conductive surface disposed adjacent to a ceiling framework. The first end also includes a conductive, mechanically biased member capable of maintaining physical contact with the first conductive surface. The second end includes a surface arranged and disposed to provide selective electrical contact to a device selected from the group consisting of a voltage source, a second conductive surface, an electrical device and combinations thereof. The conductive body provides electrical connectivity between the conductive surface and the device.

Electrified ceiling framework connectors

A clamping assembly having a top and bottom and front and back orientation, at least one optical axis, and a pre-actuated state in which a fiber is not secured to the clamping assembly and a post-actuated state in which a fiber is secured to the clamping assembly, the clamping assembly comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a platform disposed in the housing and being fixed therein both radially and axially, the platform defining a fiber-receiving channel along the optical axis to receive at least one fiber, at least a portion of the fiber-receiving channel being accessible from the top; (c) a first cam member disposed in the housing above and adjacent to the fiber-receiving channel, the first cam member being radially actuateable within the housing, the first cam member having a first cam surface; (d) a second cam member disposed in the housing and axially slidable therein, the second cam member having a second cam surface adjacent the first cam surface and configured such that, upon forward motion of the second cam member relative to the first cam member, the first cam member is urged downward as a result of a camming action between the first and second cam surfaces; and (e) an actuator disposed slidably within the housing behind and adjacent to the second cam member and configured such that, when moved forward, it forces the second cam member forward relative to the first cam member.

Optical fiber clamping assembly

An optical fiber assembly kit () comprising: (a) a ferrule assembly () having at least one bore hole to receive an optical fiber and a first contact surface; (b) a positioning member () having a second contact surface and an aperture adapted to receive the ferrule assembly (), wherein the first contact surface and the aperture are configured to form a first interface in which a first radial position relationship between the ferrule assembly () and the positioning member () is maintained; (c) a housing having an interior cavity adapted for receiving the positioning member () and the ferrule assembly (), the housing and the second surface of the positioning member () are configured to form a second interface such that a second radial position relationship between the positioning member () and the housing is maintained, wherein one of the first or second radial position relationships is adjustable in increments less than a quarter rotation, and the other radial position relationship is predetermined, and wherein the one radial position relationship has an interference fit interface.

Optical fiber assembly with adjustable fiber radial orientation

A method of coupling a high-power optical signal between an optical fiber and a mating optical component, the optical signal ranging in wavelength from x to y, and having a first diameter while propagating in a mode field within the fiber, the method comprising: (a) converting the high-power optical signal between the first diameter in the fiber and a second diameter significantly greater than the first diameter using a GRIN lens fused to an end of the fiber, the GRIN lens having a diameter substantially the same as that of the optical fiber and a length l complying with the following equation:&#xbc;&#xbd;&#x2266;&#xbc;+&#xbd;

Expanded beam connector system

A method of assembling an optical fiber assembly comprising the steps of: (a) providing a ferrule sub-assembly comprising a ferrule having a front end and a fiber secured therein and a positioning member; (b) positioning the ferrule sub-assembly in a housing adapted to receive the positioning member in a plurality of predetermined radial positions; (c) preparing the front end such that the fiber is suitable for optical coupling with a mating device; (d) rotating the ferrule sub-assembly to at least a portion of the plurality of predetermined radial positions within the housing while measuring the power loss associated with each radial position to determine the optimal radial position; and (e) optionally polishing the end of the ferrule into the desired configuration after the optimum radial position is determined.

Optical fiber connector with ferrule radial orientation control

A method of qualifying a ferrule assembly as being adequate to make physical contact upon mating, the method comprising approving the ferrule assembly if an undercut of the ferrule assembly does not exceed a maximum allowable undercut based on ferrule deformation at a particular compressive load and apex offset.

Method of determining likelihood of optical fiber connector making positive contact

A fiber optic connector utilizing a fiber array ferrule has a housing with an internal geometry that provides transverse alignment of the ferrule relative to the housing when the connector is in an unmated condition and permits transverse displacement of the ferrule relative to the housing when the connector is in a mated condition. This structure advantageously permits proper pre-mating alignment with a mating connector ferrule or other optical device while also improving isolation of the ferrule from external loads imposed on the housing when the connector is in a mated condition.

Optical fiber connector with improved ferrule float feature

A connector for engaging a mating connector comprising: (a) a housing having a longitudinal axis and a front and back orientation and being adapted for receiving a signal carrying medium; and (b) an articulated latch connected to the housing at one or more primary joints and having a plurality of sections, wherein at least one of the sections has an engagement structure which is adapted to engage a corresponding structure on the mating connector such that the connector and the mating connector cannot be separated without actuating the latch, and wherein at least two sections are connected at a secondary joint, the primary and secondary joints being configured such that, when an actuating force is applied to the articulated latch, a moment on one side of the actuation point is reduced by an opposing moment on the opposite side of the actuation point, thereby reducing the axial force on the connector.

Connector with articulated latch

A novel forward-facing, aft-attached cantilever beam is provided as a latch for securing a fiber optic connector to a receptacle. The beam has engagement structure on its free end which attaches to the receptacle. The connector includes a plug housing formed from a member having a forward end and a rearward end and an axial passageway therethrough through which at least one optical fiber provided in the fiber optic cable extends. The forward end is inserted into the receptacle with the rearward end extending from the receptacle. The cantilevered beam has an end fixed to a rearward portion of the member and its free end extends forwardly toward the forward end of the member. To engage the connector with the receptacle, the free end of the cantilevered beam is biased toward the member and the member is slid into the receptacle. Once fully inserted, the engagement structure on the cantilevered beam engages retention structure in the receptacle. The connector can be released from engagement with the receptacle by biasing the cantilevered beam such that the engagement structure on the beam is released from the retention structure of the receptacle and thereafter pulling the connector out of the receptacle.

Plug housing with attached cantilevered latch for a fiber optic connector

A fiber optic ferrule comprises a precision ferrule capillary (,) and a ferrule base (,). The ferrule capillary (,) has a polygonal collar (,). The ferrule base (,) is molded over the collar (,). The ferrule base (,) and the collar (,) cooperate to resist rotational and axial displacement of the ferrule capillary relative to the ferrule base (,).

Overmolded fiber optic connector ferrule capillary having octagonal collar

Growing community of inventors

Lemoyne, PA, United States of America

Randy Marshall Manning